Trump attacks Merck CEO for stepping down from manufacturing council in protest

[Mrs. Overall]

Source: CNBC

(Note: Kenneth Frazier is African American)

Merck CEO Kenneth Frazier resigned Monday from the president's American Manufacturing Council in protest of President Donald Trump's response to white supremacist violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, and Trump immediately blasted the drug executive on Twitter.

"As CEO of Merck and as a matter of personal conscience, I feel a responsibility to take a stand against intolerance and extremism," Frazier wrote in a tweet. Merck declined to comment further.

Shortly after Frazier announced his resignation, Trump responded by saying that now that the CEO had resigned from the council, he will have more time to "LOWER RIPOFF DRUG PRICES!"

Over the weekend, a gathering of hundreds of white nationalists in Virginia took a deadly turn on Saturday when a car apparently deliberately plowed into a group of counter-protesters and killed at least one person.

In a news conference, after the event, Trump denounced what he called an "egregious display of hatred and bigotry" displayed by antagonists "on many sides." That drew an immediate backlash from people who felt Trump had not taken a strong enough stance against bigotry and extremism.

Frazier isn't the first CEO to step down from a presidential advisory council to protest Trump's actions. Former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick was the first CEO to take such an action. He left in February over the Trump administration's immigration policies.



Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2017/08/14/merck-ceo-resigns-from-trumps-american-manufacturing-council.html

[Bluepinky]

1. I hope many others follow his example.

Thank you Mr. Kalanick and Mr. Frazier.

[PSPS]

2. Trump "attacks" man with a conscience, yet won't "attack" Putin or Nazis. Lovely.

[mahannah]

3. Im not a fan of the pharmaceutical industry's pricing schedule,

but my hat is off to Mr. Frazier for this move.

[leftynyc]

4. Attacked this guy but still hasn't

gone after his nazi supporters who PROUDLY wore their trump hats this weekend. What a pig.

[Chemisse]

5. Mature and measured response, as always.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

6. A CEO Who's Who Of Trump's Manufacturing Council

A CEO Who's Who Of Trump's Manufacturing Council

Dustin Blitchok , Benzinga Staff Writer
January 27, 2017 4:36pm

A group of more than two dozen CEOs have been tapped by President Donald Trump to create recommendations to grow the American manufacturing sector.

The group convenes at a time when Trump is pledging to cut corporate taxes, slash regulations and also heavily tax companies that outsource manufacturing jobs.

Who are the C-suite occupants selected by the new president? Let’s take a look.

{snip}

[UpInArms]

7. Wow!

Just .. wow!

[Kleveland]

8. It's his party, and he'll cry if he wants to!

Soulless and bloated twit that he is.

Any decent human being would speak out loudly against the hatred demonstrated, and the horrific statement by David Puke.

These racist minority are consuming far too much of the national consciousness, and the news cycles.

Something needs to be done.

I truly wish that I had an answer and a solution.... my soul cries for the country and the world at large.

[brooklynite]

9. No, no, no!

By personally calling him out, Trump is treating him with DIGNITY...

[vkkv]

10. Trump's TantrumTweet ::

"" Now that Ken Frazier of Merck Pharma has resigned from President's Manufacturing Council,he will have more time to LOWER RIPOFF DRUG PRICES! ""


Sad... that he is POTUS..?

[Gothmog]

11. Trump's feelings were hurt